How much do tile & stone setters make in New Jersey in 2026?

The median Tile & Stone Setter in New Jersey earns $62,370 per year, which works out to roughly $29.99 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the range — half of setters in the state earn more, half earn less. If you are just entering the trade or working in a lower-wage region of the state, the 25th percentile figure of $46,410 per year ($22.31/hr) is a more realistic starting benchmark. Experienced setters with a strong book of work, specialty skills, or access to commercial contracts can push into the top quarter of earners, where pay reaches $97,190 per year ($46.73/hr).

That spread — from $46,410 to $97,190 — is wide, and it matters. The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is more than $50,000 per year. Understanding where you fall, and why, is the most practical thing you can do with this data.

Several factors move a setter's pay up or down within that range. The type of work is one of the biggest. Residential bathroom and kitchen tile work tends to pay less per hour than large-format porcelain or natural stone installation on commercial floors, lobbies, or facades. Intricate mosaic work, custom stone fabrication, and waterproofing-integrated shower systems all command higher rates because fewer setters can execute them correctly and efficiently. A setter who can read architectural drawings, work to tight tolerances on large commercial jobs, and troubleshoot substrate issues before they become warranty calls is worth more to a contractor than one who does only straightforward residential repairs.

Geography within New Jersey also plays a role. The northern counties bordering New York City — Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Union — tend to have higher labor costs and more commercial work available than the southern or rural parts of the state. A setter based near Newark or Jersey City has easier access to high-value commercial and hospitality projects than one working primarily in the Pine Barrens region. Cost of living follows the same gradient, so higher gross pay in the north does not always translate to a better standard of living, but the raw wage numbers are typically stronger there.

Experience and certifications move the needle as well. Tile setters who hold credentials from the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) or who have completed a formal apprenticeship through a joint apprenticeship program can often document their skills in a way that justifies higher bids on public and institutional work. In states like New Jersey where prevailing wage laws apply to public projects, those credentials can be the difference between landing a job at a regulated rate or competing on low-margin residential work.

Tools and speed matter in this trade. A setter who can lay tile fast without sacrificing layout quality or grout-line consistency is genuinely more productive, and many contractors compensate accordingly — whether through higher hourly wages or by structuring piece-rate arrangements on straightforward floor installations. On the other hand, slow setters, regardless of quality, are difficult to keep profitable on tight commercial schedules.

No union scale data is currently available for Tile & Stone Setters in New Jersey through TradesPays. Where union agreements do exist in the broader construction trades, they typically set floor wages, establish apprenticeship ratios, and include benefit contributions for health and retirement that are not reflected in BLS wage figures. If you are evaluating a union versus non-union position, compare total compensation — not just the hourly rate — because benefit packages on union jobs can add significant value beyond the base wage.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. BLS OEWS data reflects wages reported by employers and covers both full-time and part-time workers, so the figures represent what workers are actually being paid — not what job postings advertise. Self-employed setters who set their own rates are generally not captured in this survey, meaning the top end of earnings in the trade may be higher than even the 75th percentile figure shown here.